Fastening devices, such as clips and staples, are commonly used to attach objects (e.g., cylindrical objects) to generally planar surfaces such as substrates. Examples of such objects include conduits such as electrical conductors (e.g., cables and wires) and also tubing and pipes designed to carry fluids, such as water. Such conduits may, for example, be generally circular in cross section (in the case, for example, of a typical water pipe or electrical conduit) or may, alternatively, have a different cross-sectional shape (e.g., elliptical or rectangular). Such fastening devices may, for example, be used to facilitate the installation of electrical conduits or fluid carrying pipes during building construction and/or renovation projects.
A typical fastening device generally includes a pair of leg members joined by a crown portion. To secure an object to a substrate, the fastening device is generally arranged such that the legs straddle the object.
In one type of fastening device, one or both of the legs are then driven directly into the substrate (e.g., by hammering or through the use of an automated or semi-automated installation tool) such that the object is secured between the substrate and the crown portion of the fastening device. This type of fastening device is typically used in conjunction with substrates made of relatively softer material. An example of this type of fastening device is disclosed in published U.S. Patent Application No. 20050028346 of Mangone, Jr. for FASTENING DEVICE, FASTENING SYSTEM AND RELATED METHODS, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all that is disclosed therein.
In another type of fastening device, one or more separate substrate penetrating members (e.g., screws or nails) are engaged with the leg members and then driven into the substrate. This type of fastening device is typically used in conjunction with substrates made of relatively harder material, e.g, wood. Examples of this type of fastening device are generally disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,801,061 of Mangone, Jr. for FORCABLE MOUNTING APPARATUS AND METHOD; 4,801,064 of Mangone, Jr. for CABLE MOUNTING APPARATUS AND METHOD; 5,350,267 of Mangone, Jr. for APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING RELATIVELY RIGID OBJECTS and 6,021,982 of Mangone, Jr. for CABLE CLIP, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference for all that is disclosed therein.